Dressing Up
by sookieandsamfan
Summary: Ron and Hermione share a special moment thanks to her decision to get a bit gussied up.  Set during The Deathly Hallows.  I, of course, own nothing.


*Just a one shot set in the tent sometime before Ron takes off and leaves. This is on a good night when the Horcrux is not affecting his emotions. The dancing idea came from the movie. I actually love the Hermione, Harry dance, but I think it could have been great with Ron too as a night of distraction. This story suggests that Ron and Hermione were sneaking around behind Harry's back for much of the journey. One explanation for why Ron gets so upset when he thinks there's something going on between Hermione and Harry. Just a thought I had. Enjoy*

The bathroom in the tent was so small it was hard for Hermione to even turn around, but somehow she had managed to put on her dress from the night of the wedding. The red garment was a bit wrinkly from being in her bag for so long, but it still looked pretty much intact. Hermione had charmed the tent wall above the sink to be a reflection so that she could actually put on some make-up. She was never much for an overdone face, but she did touch up her eyes with some light blue shadow and some mascara, and she applied her very favorite peppermint lip gloss. She put her curly hair half back in a clip. Her hair had gotten pretty long in the past few months.

Hermione said "much better," out loud then walked out into the main room of the tent. Harry was on watch, so he was outside, but Ron was sitting at the tent table playing a game of solitaire. He looked up to greet her when he heard her enter the room, and his eyes got big as saucers. She was a vision. He whistled a cat call then said, "What's the occasion?" Hermione blushed at his whistle and laughed at his words. "Well," she started answering. "I got a glimpse of myself in the tea pot this morning, and I was horrified. I don't know how you and Harry have kept from puking from the sight of me. I looked like I had been run over by a truck, which is sort of how I've felt recently too. So, I went through my bad to see what I might have to look a little better, and I saw this dress from the wedding and decided to go all out. I know it's silly, but I just needed to look pretty again, even if it's just for a few hours."

Ron had gotten up from the table and come toward her while she rattled off her explanation. "Well," he said swallowing. "I'd say you achieved your goal. You look amazing." Hermione blushed again as she always did when Ron paid her a compliment. "Just for the record though," he added. "I think you look pretty every day. How else do you think I have the motivation to get up every morning? If I only had Harry to look at, I would go mad." They both laughed, and when things got quiet, Hermione found the courage to ask, "You really think I'm pretty?" Ron rolled his eyes. "Hermione, please. You are beautiful and not just right. I mean that." The admission was true and felt natural to Ron, but he was still surprised that he had said it all so candidly. He and Hermione had been getting closer for the past few years and certainly on this journey, but they were still cowards when it came to expressing their feelings for one another. "Thank you," Hermione said looking down.

Before things could get too serious, Ron broke the tension. "Well, I think it would be a shame for you to get all dressed up and have nowhere to go, don't you?" He left her side to pick up the radio from on his bunk. He tuned around until he found some music, then set it on the table and went back to Hermione. He extended his hand. "May I have this dance?" Hermione grinned and took his hand. Ron pulled her close, and they started dancing. They had danced briefly at Bill and Fleur's wedding, so the moment was not unfamiliar, but it was different somehow. Maybe because they were alone. Hermione rested her head on Ron's shoulder, and he breathed in her scent. "I needed a break from all this," Ron said smiling. "Thank you for dressing up." "You're welcome," she replied pulling back to look into his eyes.

For whatever reason, time stood still. Ron looked into Hermione's chocolate brown eyes, and they were no longer in a cold tent in the middle of nowhere in the midst of war. He was in Heaven. She felt the same way. Ron's piercing blue eyes gave her hope that they would make it out of this journey alive and maybe be together once it was all over. As if he didn't have control over his own body, Ron leaned in to kiss her. Hermione closed her eyes as their lips met. She tasted like peppermint, and Ron mentally made a note so he could forever remember this moment. Ron brought his hand up to the back of her neck so he could control and deepen the kiss. Hermione thought her knees might give out as he gently slipped his tongue in her mouth. They kissed until they were out of breath. They gently pulled apart, and Ron leaned his head against Hermione's forehead. "Well," he said breathlessly. "That was new." Both of them started giggling.

"What's so funny?" a voice said from the tent flap. Ron and Hermione quickly broke apart as they turned to look at Harry. Had he seen them? They were both wondering. He didn't looked shocked, so they both independently decided he hadn't. "Just my dancing skills," Ron said with the save. "Hermione got all dressed up, and I was trying to make it worth her while, but I've got two left feet." They all left. "What the occasion?" Harry said echoing Ron's exact words from about 20 minutes earlier. "Just wanted to look pretty," Hermione said simply. "Well," Harry said. "Do I get a dance?" "Sure," Hermione said smiling looking at Ron for some sort of approval. She wasn't sure what she was expecting or hoping for. Maybe that Ron would tell Harry that actually he couldn't dance with Hermione because he had interrupted a snogging session. "Cut right in, mate," Ron said instead doing his best to maintain his platonic façade although all he could think about right now was the amazing kiss he and Hermione had just shared. "Watch your hands though," he added jokingly as he sat back at the table. "Hermione will curse you if you get fresh." They all laughed again. Hermione noted how incredibly good Ron was at diffusing tension, but she was still drunk from the moment they had just shared. Harry and Hermione took a couple of turns around the makeshift tent dance floor until the song switched to a voice advertising commercials. Hermione and Harry broke apart. "Thanks," Harry said. "That was fun. I'll get back to watch now."

With that, the moment was over for Harry, and he went back to business. That was not the case though for Ron and Hermione. Left once again alone in the tent, their recent and steamy kiss was at the forefront of both their minds. Hermione waited for Ron to say something, do something, anything, but he didn't. "Well," Hermione said nervously fiddling with her dress. "I think I'll just go change then." She turned and was gone before Ron could even open his mouth to say, "Wait, don't. The night's still young." That's what he wanted to say, but he was silent. He ran his hand through his hair. "What's wrong with me?" he thought. He'd been dying to kiss Hermione for years, and now that he had done it, he was ruining the moment. Hermione was probably in the bathroom right now worrying that he had gotten caught up in the moment. That the kiss hadn't meant anything. It's what's he would have thought in her place. It's exactly what she was thinking. The second Harry went back outside, Ron should have gotten up and taken Hermione in his arms and kissed her again, but he couldn't find the courage. He would find it now.

He walked to the bathroom door quietly and knocked lightly. "Hermione," he said in a question. "Just a second," she said back. Was she crying? Ron thought he heard her voice crack. Ron backed up a bit to give her some privacy, but he could hear her rummaging around. She emerged about 2 minutes later. She had put on a pair of purple flannel pajamas and washed her make-up off, and her hair was all the way down now, free from its clip. Ron's breath caught. He had meant it when she told Hermione that she was beautiful all the time, and right here, right now, she looked just as radiant as she had all done up in her party dress. "All yours," she said forcing a smile. "I don't need in there," Ron said laughing at her assumption. "Oh," Hermione said. "Then what?" Ron answered her by pushing her back against the door and kissing her. This kiss wasn't the same as less than an hour before. It was hungrier, desperate. Hermione dropped the bag she was holding on the floor and wrapped her arms around Ron's neck. He had one hand around her waist holding her close and the other tangled in her hair to keep her head from banging against the door.

When they finally broke apart, Ron whispered. "I want you to know how much I've wanted to do that. For a long time." Hermione nodded her head. "Me, too," she said. Her cheeks and lips were pink from kissing. Any doubts she had had about why Ron had kissed her were floating away. It was no admission of love, but they both their time as being just friends was over.

He kissed her again, much gentler this time. "What now?" Hermione asked. "Should we tell Harry?" "I don't know," Ron said honestly as he tucked Hermione's hair behind her ears. "He has so much else on his mind." They were silent for a minute. "We could keep it a secret for now," she said coyly. "Might be fun to try and hide it for a while until there's some resolution to this mess." Ron grinned. Hermione was not a rule-breaker by nature, and he loved that she wanted to be a little bit bad. "Okay," he said. "I think secret snoggings might be just the thing we need to keep us going. It sure will add some interest to this tiny tent." They both laughed as Ron kissed Hermione again. "Ron," Harry called as the pair broke apart. "Yes," Ron answered loudly. "Can you come help me for a minute? We need more firewood?" "Sure, mate, I'm coming," Ron said. "Let the secrets begin," he whispered to Hermione kissing her again to the point it took her breath away, and with that, he was off to help Harry.

Hermione leaned back against the bathroom door. She sure was glad she had decided to dress up.

*hope you liked it…just a little scene I dreamed up.


End file.
